Chapter 418: Deceived

Name:The Fox of France Author:


This Lucien Evans is actually a pseudonym for Gauss. Of course, this name was chosen with the help of Joseph Bonaparte for certain undisclosed reasons.

"Hehe, do you really think this matter will end like this?" Joseph couldn't help but think while assigning this name to Gauss's pseudonym.

Of course, besides Joseph, no one knows the terror represented by the seemingly ordinary name "Lucien Evans". In another time and space, such infamous names as "Original Devil, Fallen Morning Star, Skull Crusher, Brain Eater, Headshot Maniac, Destroyer of Worldviews" would be enough to silence a crying baby.

Napoleon naturally had no idea what terror he was about to face.

"The rigorous proof of geometric principles and the parallel line theorem?" Napoleon read the topic once, "Parallel line theorem, ah, is this another attempt to eliminate parallel lines from axioms?"

The fifth postulate of Euclidean geometry, also known as the parallel postulate, seems far less intuitive than the previous ones. Lacking the concise beauty of axioms, many mathematicians since ancient Greece have sought to prove it using alternative sets of four postulates and five axioms, thereby removing it from the ranks of axioms and turning it into a theorem.

Napoleon opened the paper and began to read.

"Damn, what is this! Really... I thought I might see something non-crackpot, something normal, but... how can this person earnestly talk such nonsense! Doesn't he want to see what the outside world is like? It's truly infuriating!"

Early the next morning, Napoleon unexpectedly received a notification from the Academy of Sciences. Because his judgment of the paper "Rigorous Proof of Geometric Principles and the Parallel Line Theorem" differed significantly from that of another probationary academician—Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier, the Academy, according to custom, sent him the paper again for re-evaluation. If no one changed their opinion after a week, a hearing would be convened to resolve the dispute.

"Huh? Fourier let that damn paper pass?" Napoleon was surprised.

Given Fourier's academic level and contributions, he should have been a full member of the Academy of Sciences long ago. But he was still an important figure in the Bonaparte Laboratory, and his most important research findings were considered strategically significant by Joseph, especially in wireless communications. As long as his findings were temporarily kept under wraps, even if the British managed to steal French secret radio equipment, they would hardly be able to replicate anything useful. So these findings were kept confidential for the time being.

Of course, Joseph didn't mistreat Fourier either. Fourier received quite a few shares of Bonaparte General Electric as a result. With just the annual dividends, he had become one of the wealthiest men in the French Academy of Sciences, second only to Joseph and Lavoisier.

However, because of this, Fourier was still only a probationary academician. (Actually, it wasn't bad. In the original history, Fourier wasn't even a probationary academician at this time.)

Although Fourier was only a probationary academician, Napoleon still admired his academic level. Moreover, Fourier was a man of Joseph's faction, which made Napoleon even more wary.

"Could I be wrong? Well, that damn paper I haven't even finished reading. If the first thing I do as a full member is to make a mistake, that would be truly embarrassing. Damn it, could Joseph have arranged this intentionally to trap me? No, I won't be fooled!"